Dumbing of Age Book Fourteen

Dumbing of Age

A college webcomic by David Willis
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October 2, 2026

Evaded

by David M Willis on October 3, 2025 at 12:01 am
  • 01 – Not-So Smooth Criminals
└ Tags: alice, ruth

Discussion (269) ¬

[ Comments RSS ]
  1. NGPZ
    NGPZ
    October 3, 2025 at 12:01 am | #

    LMFAO IM DEAD

    Alice in UNDER-land XD

    *plays “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails on hacked muzak*

    • KtBear
      KtBear
      October 3, 2025 at 1:28 am | #

      I prefer “Closer” by Halocene but I’ll take it.

      • kdmw
        kdmw
        October 3, 2025 at 7:17 am | #

        If we’re ranking songs called “Closer” Tegan and Sarah’s is my fave

        • Lysbeth
          Lysbeth
          October 4, 2025 at 5:54 am | #

          I really don’t like Closer magazine.

    • TheCozburger
      TheCozburger
      October 3, 2025 at 5:49 am | #

      Well, she’ll be going down SOMEONE’S rabbit hole…

      • Steamweed
        Steamweed
        October 3, 2025 at 7:57 am | #

        Or someone going down hers.
        Little signs that say “eat me”.

        • Lysbeth
          Lysbeth
          October 4, 2025 at 5:55 am | #

          This cursed server-assigned pfp of mine is the perfect tool to reply “AAAAYYYYYY”

    • Embe13
      Embe13
      October 3, 2025 at 4:56 pm | #

      widely said to be the sexiest song in history (like rolling stone, nhm, kerrang have all listed it) so i agree! but if someone has to have an alternative, the NIN/BEATLES mashup “come closer”

  2. Doctor_Who
    Doctor_Who
    October 3, 2025 at 12:01 am | #

    Alice should write Valentine’s Day cards.

    • Rose by Any other Name
      Rose by Any other Name
      October 3, 2025 at 6:11 am | #

      Alice: “I’m gonna put my cooch on her cooch!”
      …

      Yeah, I’d buy that card.

      • Effie
        Effie
        October 3, 2025 at 10:27 am | #

        Dumbing Of Age Book 16: I’m Gonna Put My Cooch On Her Cooch

  3. mindbleach
    mindbleach
    October 3, 2025 at 12:02 am | #

    Given the dialog, I admire the restraint in titling this one “Evaded.”

    • Effie
      Effie
      October 3, 2025 at 10:27 am | #

      Alternative title: “Calm Your Cooch”

  4. Taffy
    Taffy
    October 3, 2025 at 12:02 am | #

    I adore Alice.

    • Rose by Any other Name
      Rose by Any other Name
      October 3, 2025 at 6:11 am | #

      Same.

  5. Morrison
    Morrison
    October 3, 2025 at 12:03 am | #

    Every comic with Dorothy should have readers asking “Where’s Dorothy?” “When is Dorothy coming back?”

    At least that’s how compelling and entertaining she has been written recently I am asking that

    • Morrison
      Morrison
      October 3, 2025 at 12:05 am | #

      I see know I put ‘with Dorothy’ instead of ‘without Dorothy’
      Aaaaaaand I can’t delete it.

      • Morrison
        Morrison
        October 3, 2025 at 12:06 am | #

        KNOW I SEE NOW.

        • Rowen Morland
          Rowen Morland
          October 3, 2025 at 3:17 am | #

          Various rakes.gif

          • Rose by Any other Name
            Rose by Any other Name
            October 3, 2025 at 6:14 am | #

            You now, I was gonna make a joke after reading Morrison’s posts, but I’m knot gonna beat Rowen’s comment, so I will simply bow out gracefully.

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 12:07 am | #

      I’m right here

    • AbacusWizard
      AbacusWizard
      October 3, 2025 at 12:43 am | #

      Oz fans in 1905: “We want to read about Dorothy again”

      DoA fans in 2025: “We want to read about Dorothy again”

      • Olofa
        Olofa
        October 3, 2025 at 4:18 pm | #

        [golf clap]

    • Decidedly Orthogonal
      Decidedly Orthogonal
      October 3, 2025 at 12:45 am | #

      All the friends of Dorothy should be down for that.

    • anon
      anon
      October 3, 2025 at 1:17 am | #

      lol

      • morleuca
        morleuca
        October 3, 2025 at 4:29 pm | #

        Sigh

    • TerribleTransit
      TerribleTransit
      October 3, 2025 at 8:59 am | #

      I’m constantly wondering when Dorothy will come back in strips featuring her, because she cannot be perceived.

  6. Elf grrl
    Elf grrl
    October 3, 2025 at 12:03 am | #

    Disaster Sapphics are back on the menu!!!

    • Paradoxius
      Paradoxius
      October 3, 2025 at 12:06 am | #

      What do you mean “back”?

      • Paradoxius
        Paradoxius
        October 3, 2025 at 12:14 am | #

        It’s been almost two months since we had a strip *not* featuring a lesbian-cum-catastrophe!

        (And the lesbian’t strips in question concern Sal’s fraught rivalry/alliance with Amazi-girl, which, like, I’m saying it’s conceivable, is all.)

        • ESM
          ESM
          October 3, 2025 at 12:30 am | #

          The only lesbian cum catastrophe so far was the laundry room being busy.

        • Decidedly Orthogonal
          Decidedly Orthogonal
          October 3, 2025 at 12:47 am | #

          It has been brought to my attention good soul, that you should be applauded for your most delightful word smithing.

        • Alan
          Alan
          October 3, 2025 at 1:06 am | #

          “Lesbian cum Catastrophe” sounds like a pretty good name for an all-woman punk band. Or maybe “Lesbian cum Disaster” as an alternative; I feel like it flows slightly better.

          • Disastroid
            Disastroid
            October 3, 2025 at 5:58 am | #

            What this joke definitely needs is better flowing.

          • Delavan
            Delavan
            October 3, 2025 at 3:46 pm | #

            Lesbian Cumtastrophe is better than cum Catastrophe I think. But I like LCD for the memes, too.

          • Olofa
            Olofa
            October 3, 2025 at 4:20 pm | #

            Speaking of disasters that flow better: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Molasses_Flood

        • Astariel
          Astariel
          October 3, 2025 at 10:04 am | #

          We did have that one strip with Ethan and Asher in bed.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        October 3, 2025 at 12:40 am | #

        This comic has been consistently serving this course for 12 years! Minimum!

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 12:10 am | #

      This menu never changes!

    • biomanzilla
      biomanzilla
      October 3, 2025 at 1:20 am | #

      Perfect gravatar for this.

    • Cimorene
      Cimorene
      October 3, 2025 at 2:16 am | #

      Yesterday: aww lesbian disaster over 🙁
      Today: wait, we’re just switching the drama dial!

    • Kyulen
      Kyulen
      October 3, 2025 at 2:36 am | #

      Did they ever leave the menu?

  7. DaMullet
    DaMullet
    October 3, 2025 at 12:03 am | #

    Dumbing Of Age Book Whatever Number We’re Up To By Now:

    • Steamweed
      Steamweed
      October 3, 2025 at 7:59 am | #

      DoA Book Sixty One.

  8. Bittersweet
    Bittersweet
    October 3, 2025 at 12:04 am | #

    Alice really walking up into this room seeing a knife sticking out of Ruth’s chest and going “I wonder if I can unscrew this somehow” bahahaha.

    I can’t say I’ve ever been in this situation, but I weirdly get it. There are just some people that you always fall into if you’re in their orbit, and for that person to be Billifer is definitely… less than ideal. But she’s been working on being better. Again.

    • Cimorene
      Cimorene
      October 3, 2025 at 2:18 am | #

      Ruth does an ultimate power move and starts dating Alice

      • Needfuldoer
        Needfuldoer
        October 3, 2025 at 3:12 am | #

        They could both do worse.

        • Clif
          Clif
          October 3, 2025 at 3:37 am | #

          They could both date Jennifer?

      • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        October 3, 2025 at 4:57 am | #

        An even bigger power move would be for it to turn out functional.

    • Steamweed
      Steamweed
      October 3, 2025 at 8:01 am | #

      Ahhh, yesss, a Alice/Jennifer/Ruth polycule.
      I ship it.
      A total Titanic sort of ship.
      But I ship it.

  9. Pocky
    Pocky
    October 3, 2025 at 12:04 am | #

    SHE HAS A MIGHTY NEED

  10. Slartibeast Button, BIA
    Slartibeast Button, BIA
    October 3, 2025 at 12:04 am | #

    When you sell someone to someone else as a friend, is there a long block of legal text specifying details?

    • Wizard
      Wizard
      October 3, 2025 at 11:47 am | #

      Yes, but no one actually reads it. They just scroll through and click the “Agree” box.

  11. FlamestAndLight
    FlamestAndLight
    October 3, 2025 at 12:04 am | #

    Oh no, Alice is just like me for real

  12. IntangibleMatter
    IntangibleMatter
    October 3, 2025 at 12:04 am | #

    “Look, the suicide pact was kind of a one-time thing, if that’s of any comfort…”

    anyways fuck yeah I’ve been needing some properly toxic yuri in this comic again. Joyce and Dorothy are just plain cute aside from the collateral damage, so I’ve been waiting for something like what Ruth and Billie had. This seems like it may well be it. (well, not quite as messy, but nonetheless…)

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      October 3, 2025 at 12:10 am | #

      I mean, you can only do it once.

      • IntangibleMatter
        IntangibleMatter
        October 3, 2025 at 12:33 am | #

        You can do multiple suicide pacts, you just can’t do multiple which you “complete”

        • Throwatron
          Throwatron
          October 3, 2025 at 5:18 am | #

          if you have multiple suicide pacts and never die, you might be doing something right. not sure what it is, but you ain’t dead, so it must be something?

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            October 3, 2025 at 6:25 am | #

            Well, you definitely wouldn’t be doing the suicide right. Usually you’re supposed to die at the end of that, so not dying would be a pretty obvious failure. And then I have to wonder, how many times can you form a suicide pact and not die, without getting a reputation? Eventually people are gonna notice your pact partners keep dying but you don’t, and then I think they’re gonna start asking some very pointed questions that probably won’t be covered by “Um, I’m just really bad at dying.” Bad enough you’re forming the pact to begin with, but repeated instances basically make you a serial killer, and you know who else was a serial killer? Ted Bundy. You don’t wanna be like that freak, do you?

        • deliverything
          deliverything
          October 3, 2025 at 6:18 am | #

          Well, perhaps you could get in touch with that nice Doctor Herbert West?

          • Taffy
            Taffy
            October 3, 2025 at 6:25 am | #

            Was he the one with the terrifying air conditioner?

            • deliverything
              deliverything
              October 3, 2025 at 6:59 am | #

              …I’m sorry, I don’t get that reference.

              • Dan
                Dan
                October 3, 2025 at 7:11 am | #

                Herbert West being from Lovecraft’s “Herbert West – Reanimator”
                and the terrifying air conditioner being from Lovecraft’s “Cool Air”?

                • deliverything
                  deliverything
                  October 3, 2025 at 7:15 am | #

                  Oh, that makes sense. Didn’t know Cool Air. Thank you.

                • brionl
                  brionl
                  October 3, 2025 at 11:49 am | #

                  I sometimes have Doctor characters that went to the West School of Medicine at Miskatonic University.

  13. ReFlex76
    ReFlex76
    October 3, 2025 at 12:05 am | #

    So, Alice is down bad.

  14. EtchJetty
    EtchJetty
    October 3, 2025 at 12:05 am | #

    lesbianism … COCTINUED

  15. ZombieKyrik
    ZombieKyrik
    October 3, 2025 at 12:06 am | #

    Wow, Alice is more horny than she first appeared. Good for her, and hopefully good for Billie/Jennifer.

    That being said I wonder just how attracted Billie/Jennifer is to Alice, and whether she’ll finally admit to herself that she’s bi. Which I recognize isn’t easy to do; I had issues coming to terms with being bisexual when I was a teeenager, and it took me a long time to undo my preconceived notions.

    Anybody else? (Assuming you feel comfortable enough to share.)

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      October 3, 2025 at 12:09 am | #

      Untangling the web of relationships has reved up her engine, as it were.

    • anon
      anon
      October 3, 2025 at 1:18 am | #

      never underestimate the horniness of a college student. tho i wonder if she had been dating anyone else since at this college

    • Thing 2
      Thing 2
      October 3, 2025 at 2:25 am | #

      Sharing: Same sex rejected me hard, opposite sex did not, same sex was a big no no. So being bi, I went with that which was not taboo and did not reject. Took me decades to work it out!

      • Thing 2
        Thing 2
        October 3, 2025 at 2:26 am | #

        Specially if you are not entirely the sex you think you are!

    • Leorale
      Leorale
      October 3, 2025 at 3:32 pm | #

      I went to Oberlin College, where everyone was assumed bi unless they’ve recently stated otherwise. I called myself bi-curious, because I wanted to see if it would stick after graduation.
      (Not that people should need to wait several years before identifying as whatever, but, it amused me to do it this way.)

      My dad hoped I’d bring home a Nice Jewish Boy Or Girl.

      I considered that I might be agender, but at the time, I rounded myself up to girl — both to reflect that being AFAB is a big part of how the world interacts with me, and because I figured I had quite enough identities already. True story

    • morleuca
      morleuca
      October 3, 2025 at 9:49 pm | #

      came out as bi in college, updated to pan when the term just seemed to fit better in my 30s, came out as trans (the second time) in my 40s.

  16. Animedingo
    Animedingo
    October 3, 2025 at 12:06 am | #

    Is there something in the air turning people into lesbians

    • FlamestAndLight
      FlamestAndLight
      October 3, 2025 at 12:08 am | #

      Girls are in the air all the time. It’s definitely the girls

    • Stormtide Leviathan
      Stormtide Leviathan
      October 3, 2025 at 12:11 am | #

      We’ve known she and billie hooked up in high school for years (decade?) This is nothing new

      • RassilonTDavros
        RassilonTDavros
        October 3, 2025 at 12:23 am | #

        We’ve known for 11 years, 1 month, and 18 days, to be stupidly precise. Alice being into Billie is old news.

    • ZombieKyrik
      ZombieKyrik
      October 3, 2025 at 12:11 am | #

      Alice could be bisexual like Billie/Jennifer(even if she hasn’t come to terms with it yet.) That being said something is driving people to become more comfortable with the idea of dating the same gender, and not trying to bury it like Billie/Jennifer.

      • Thag Simmons
        Thag Simmons
        October 3, 2025 at 12:46 am | #

        Honestly I kind of suspect Alice is outright gay? Hard to call given how sparse her appearances are, but her relationship with Chester does not read like it was much of a romance

        • ZombieKyrik
          ZombieKyrik
          October 3, 2025 at 12:50 am | #

          Fair enough; I don’t know much about her since this is my first Willis comic, and I don’t know who Chester is.

          That being said I hope she is bisexual, and she helps Billie/Jennifer take stock of her feelings. If that means she embraces her bisexuality, and gets together with either Alice, or Ruth, then I will be thrilled.

          • Thag Simmons
            Thag Simmons
            October 3, 2025 at 12:58 am | #

            Alice is barely in the old universe, for what it’s worth. She was Billie’s friend at college, they went to some parties together, Alice was the maid of honour at Billie’s wedding. Basically no data.

            Chester isn’t in the old universe at all, he’s barely in this one. He shows up here, gets punched by Billie and is gone by the next comic. What little we get implies that he’s a monstrous piece of shit who did awful things to Alice and thoroughly earned getting decked by Billie at prom.

          • IntangibleMatter
            IntangibleMatter
            October 3, 2025 at 12:59 am | #

            Chester is her ex who’s shown in a flashback.

        • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
          The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
          October 3, 2025 at 3:58 am | #

          Chester being a scumbag makes it hard to tell if men aren’t her taste, or just Chester. Alice sure likes women, though.

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      October 3, 2025 at 12:21 am | #

      Oxygen mostly

    • biomanzilla
      biomanzilla
      October 3, 2025 at 12:38 am | #

      Miasma theory was disproved centuries ago. Clearly there’s a lesbian pathogen the girls are spreading to each other.

      • morleuca
        morleuca
        October 3, 2025 at 9:52 pm | #

        Id say it was something in the water, like the showers, but Joyce has those ridiculous shoes…maybe something getting into the washing machines?

    • Proxiehunter
      Proxiehunter
      October 3, 2025 at 1:55 am | #

      In the water. Like with frogs.

  17. Dot
    Dot
    October 3, 2025 at 12:06 am | #

    I’m gonna be entirely honest having Alice’s central narrative being about hot for Billie really kills my enthusiasm for the character. I think she was fun when it looked like she was gonna be a little gadfly or Greek chorus who comes into the group and stirs thing up, but this… I make no secret that Billie and Ruth are my favorite pairing in the strip, and this just feels like a roadblock on the way to them getting back together that I’ll have to sit through wishing that something more interesting were being done with the characters involved.

    Though frankly Alice I’m really not sure Billie is on the same page as you vis a vis the inevitability of yall going back to pound town.

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      October 3, 2025 at 12:14 am | #

      The alcoholism, suicide, and physical abuse just makes me want them to never ever get back together. Hits too home for my family. Even as fictional characters.

      • True Survivor
        True Survivor
        October 3, 2025 at 12:22 am | #

        Jesus, I’m sorry. Yeah, I can see how that would be upsetting. Now I feel like a bit of jerk for enjoying their drama.

        • C.T Phipps
          C.T Phipps
          October 3, 2025 at 12:53 am | #

          Eh, it’s a fascinating pair and I don’t want to harsh anyone’s enjoyment of it.

          (Which I have)

          I just assumed they were going, “Horrifying” and it turned out the comic was going for, “Dramatically Messed Up”

      • IntangibleMatter
        IntangibleMatter
        October 3, 2025 at 1:01 am | #

        For me the clearly rough dynamic between two mentally ill people was nice to see, because that was kind of how my first relationship was (though with less substance use, though just as much worrying about my partner offing themselves), so the messiness felt kinda… nice. Like I don’t think it was a good relationship, but it was still one where they were cute together and I was hoping that things would turn out well for them

        Even if it was built on quicksand

        • Rachel
          Rachel
          October 3, 2025 at 1:20 am | #

          … To comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable <3

          • IntangibleMatter
            IntangibleMatter
            October 3, 2025 at 1:31 am | #

            Every time I hear that quote now I think of SCP Author “Local Lesbian Commie”, who opens her author page with

            Cesar Cruz said art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

            I disagree.

            It should disturb both.

            And having seen “Again, Narcissus?”, her article which one the Classic Con, she is very much not joking about that.

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      October 3, 2025 at 12:20 am | #

      I think Billie maybe on board the train for pound town, but not for hand-holdingville. I predict the central narrative for Billy and Alice will revolve around the fact that after being so brutally dumped by Ruth (everything about their relationship was delightfully painfully extra), Billy has cooped by trying to convince herself that she was never into girls romantically – her experience with Ruth was just a sex thing she carried away with, not true love. Meanwhile, I infer that Alice wants to be with Billy again and to do so in the very real sense they never got to be in highschool. Billy, however, is unlikely to be willing to let herself return those feelings, or at least admit she is, because to do so would poke a hole in emotional wall of self-delusions she constructed to pain from Ruth breaking her heart into a million pieces. Overcoming that is the only way Billy will be able to be happy with Alice or return to Ruth. If this tale goes roughly along those lines, I, personally, would consider that a pretty neat arc and would be happy to read it.

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        October 3, 2025 at 12:54 am | #

        I would be fascinated by this. I don’t think Jennifer and Alice would work out, though, because the former is in so much denial and so against self-reflection. Still, it might be part of her road to self-acceptance.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      October 3, 2025 at 12:54 am | #

      Hopefully you’ll still be able to get some of that dynamic with the other characters as she grows into more of her own character, but I do think Alice’s core purpose being as a character who orbits around Billie in the narrative has been obvious for a long time.

    • biomanzilla
      biomanzilla
      October 3, 2025 at 1:17 am | #

      Have to agree. Ever since they split up it’s been obvious that Jennifer and Ruth are going to get back together, all this will-they-won’t-they seems like pointless drama. Plus, I can only get excited about love triangles when I’m invested in every character involved, and I can’t say that about Alice.

    • anon
      anon
      October 3, 2025 at 1:19 am | #

      we all have flaws but hpoefully they can stay friends without the temptation of a hookup

    • DashWallkick
      DashWallkick
      October 3, 2025 at 3:46 am | #

      I really can’t imagine anything I want to see less than Billie and Ruth together again. Even beyond the toxicity (which I love!) they kinda ran through literally everything their relationship could do over the course of the story. I’m way more into Alice as a new foil for the longing and yearning of their horrible conflict-rich relationship.

  18. Joe Moose
    Joe Moose
    October 3, 2025 at 12:07 am | #

    [long suffering sigh]

    Y’know, the THREE of you can get a room and see about spinning the ol’ polyamorous wheel

    • not someone else
      not someone else
      October 3, 2025 at 12:10 am | #

      See, this ship I want to see fly (while aflame like the Hindenburg).

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        October 3, 2025 at 12:17 am | #

        Alice would probably run for the hills the first time they got into a fist fight.

      • IntangibleMatter
        IntangibleMatter
        October 3, 2025 at 1:02 am | #

        The best kind of ship

    • biomanzilla
      biomanzilla
      October 3, 2025 at 1:00 am | #

      By the end of this comic there won’t be any two person couples left, just various competing polycules.

      • IntangibleMatter
        IntangibleMatter
        October 3, 2025 at 1:03 am | #

        Pretty sure the strip isn’t set in Seattle, so polycules aren’t inevitable

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        October 3, 2025 at 4:10 am | #

        We can hope!

      • Astariel
        Astariel
        October 3, 2025 at 10:12 am | #

        Only until the competing polycules get absorbed into the omnicule.

    • Adam Black
      Adam Black
      October 3, 2025 at 1:19 am | #

      Does this include Jason?

      • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        October 3, 2025 at 4:12 am | #

        You mean, Sir Not Appearing in This Strip? (I do like Jason, been wondering how he and Ruth have fared.

  19. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    October 3, 2025 at 12:07 am | #

    Meanwhile, Billie and Walkie are doing something similar.

  20. Dave Van Domelen
    Dave Van Domelen
    October 3, 2025 at 12:08 am | #

    Trying bad.

  21. Amós Batista
    Amós Batista
    October 3, 2025 at 12:08 am | #

    hi, Dorothy²

  22. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    October 3, 2025 at 12:08 am | #

    Becky, you need to educate her about the sex between the womenz!

    • nadamás
      nadamás
      October 3, 2025 at 12:10 am | #

      I am fairly certain she already knows.

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        October 3, 2025 at 12:15 am | #

        Not from that description.

        • Jon
          Jon
          October 3, 2025 at 12:19 am | #

          It’s called “tribbing” or “scissoring”.

        • AMagicalDuck
          AMagicalDuck
          October 3, 2025 at 12:21 am | #

          No that absolutely does happen a lot during lesbian sex

          • Tricia
            Tricia
            October 3, 2025 at 1:07 am | #

            It happens in lesbian porn. It doesn’t happen all that often between actual lesbians because it’s really not that great for most, and there are a lot better ways to achieve the desired results.

            • Taffy
              Taffy
              October 3, 2025 at 1:32 am | #

              Most of the air we breathe doesn’t contain Tabasco vapor, either

            • Li
              Li
              October 3, 2025 at 1:34 am | #

              It would be weird for AMagicalDuck to have made that statement without some sort of non-porn knowledge source! I suspect you are telling a lesbian that she’s wrong about what kinds of things happen a lot in her sex life.

              • Tricia
                Tricia
                October 3, 2025 at 2:07 am | #

                *stares* You’re making an awful lot of assumptions here, including about me.

                And why it would be weird? People repeat misconceptions they learn about in porn all the time.

                • Taffy
                  Taffy
                  October 3, 2025 at 2:47 am | #

                  You’re kind of a busybody.

                • hroethvitnir
                  hroethvitnir
                  October 3, 2025 at 2:47 am | #

                  *” I suspect you are telling a lesbian that she’s wrong about what kinds of things happen a lot in her sex life.”*

                  That’s what’s weird.

                • Li
                  Li
                  October 3, 2025 at 2:54 am | #

                  Thanks, hroethvitnir.

                  Also nah, Tricia, I made no assumptions about you. You could also be a lesbian and still be being weird about a sex act that people with the relevant anatomy (who aren’t all lesbians) do in fact engage in outside of porn.

                  Which they do, and which you’re being weird about. Hope that helps.

                • Li
                  Li
                  October 3, 2025 at 11:00 am | #

                  Oh, also:

                  “Why would it be weird, people repeat misconceptions from porn all the time” — do they usually do it with such confidence, especially in direct response to someone else saying “that’s not real”?

                • Tan
                  Tan
                  October 3, 2025 at 11:58 am | #

                  When someone says “X is my personal experience” and someone else says “X is not my personal experience”, it is not making any assumptions about the latter person to come to the conclusion that X is some people’s personal experience.

            • Nymph
              Nymph
              October 3, 2025 at 4:17 am | #

              Hi! Actual Lesbian here, respectfully disagreeing with this categorization of (frankly) one of my favorite activities with other people-who-own-vaginas. It’s a lot of fun, I’ve dated very few women who (once they tried it) weren’t into it at least as foreplay, and I fear there aren’t many better ways to achieve the result “gets to grind against someone else’s vagina/thigh/general-fun-time-area”.

              There has been this pushback against grinding/tribbing/scissoring for a while because we don’t like how we’re portrayed in porn, how much of it is aimed at the male gaze rather than aimed at lesbians, and how much of it looks genuinely bad/painful.

              At some point in this pushback, tribbing got caught in the crossfire and this gets repeated ad nauseum until I end up having to talk baby gays down from the wall of never even trying it because they ‘learned’ it wasn’t part of our repertoire. It’s a shame, because that particular activity is (as I state above) a genuine fun time to be had.

              Sure there are faster ways to get to orgasm, but in my humble experience, I’ve never felt in any particular rush to get off when I’m having a nice time getting there.

              • Nymph
                Nymph
                October 3, 2025 at 4:21 am | #

                Footnotes:

                – I used “Actual Lesbian” because you specifically said “It doesn’t happen all that often between actual lesbians”, not because I wanted to suggest you might not be an Actual Lesbian. I have my opinion on that, sure, but I wouldn’t dream of confidently stating a thing I don’t know.

                – At some point I swapped to “women” but I do mean “people with equipment that makes this fun” it’s just very early where I am and I forgor to specify.

                – All of this is TMI, but it felt appropriate to the conversation. Sorry to anyone who didn’t want to here glossed-over details of my sex life. I owe you one (1) drawing of a spider.

                • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
                  The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
                  October 3, 2025 at 5:16 am | #

                  As a non-lesbian, can confirm it’s doable with any equipment really, provided the owner enjoys front-of-house action. It tends to change names depending on who’s participating, but [“they’re the same picture” meme here].

                • Nymph
                  Nymph
                  October 3, 2025 at 5:30 am | #

                  Ooo, I will make a mental note! Ty for the info <3

              • Taffy
                Taffy
                October 3, 2025 at 5:14 am | #

                Sure, but what’s lived experience in the face of a sweeping generalization designed and intended solely to shut down conversations?

                • Nymph
                  Nymph
                  October 3, 2025 at 6:32 am | #

                  Honestly, you’re so right. I don’t know what I was thinking lmao.

            • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
              The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
              October 3, 2025 at 4:35 am | #

              Porn gets the angles wrong, folding chair legs would be a better metaphor. Less catchy, though.

              • Nymph
                Nymph
                October 3, 2025 at 4:42 am | #

                Yes, definitely this, but mainstream porn gets the angles wrong on basically every sex act or forces women into positions that are so fucking bad for your spinal health I hope porn stars get access to workman’s comp.

                • NGPZ
                  NGPZ
                  October 3, 2025 at 11:30 am | #

                  right?

                  like if actually done in a comfy position, i hear it’s supposed to be very relaxing T~T

                • Taffy
                  Taffy
                  October 3, 2025 at 11:40 am | #

                  I’m sorry, this gave me the classic image of someone relaxing on the beach, all set up in their chair with the big umbrella, a little table with a radio on it playing some Mad Honey, a cooler with plenty of ice and drinks, and a book with a blank blue cover. And then the camera pans down and they’re scissoring someone with an identical setup.

                • Nymph
                  Nymph
                  October 3, 2025 at 12:53 pm | #

                  brb getting weird beach paraphernalia for my next date.

          • Lee
            Lee
            October 4, 2025 at 9:31 pm | #

            Yeah, but we’re not talking lesbian sex, we’re talking sex with a toxic basic white girl who refuses to have more than a surface level comprehension of or engagement with pretty much anything (except Ruth, I guess) and is in denial about the fact that she’s not hetero. It would be EXTREMELY on brand for that to look like porn shot for the male gaze.

            I mean, maybe Billie knows better now post-Ruth, but for all we know she was Alice’s first and only sexual experience, so…

        • Taffy
          Taffy
          October 3, 2025 at 12:29 am | #

          You don’t have much lesbian sex, do you?

          • C.T Phipps
            C.T Phipps
            October 3, 2025 at 2:58 am | #

            I admit I do not and bow to experts.

  23. nadamás
    nadamás
    October 3, 2025 at 12:09 am | #

    She is our modern Shakespeare

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      October 3, 2025 at 12:13 am | #

      Instead of biting thumbs, biting… other bits.

      • butting
        butting
        October 3, 2025 at 1:09 am | #

        Hands. Biting hands. She’s doing it in the last panel on this very page!

        • deliverything
          deliverything
          October 3, 2025 at 7:24 am | #

          Do you bite your thumb at us, Alice?
          If Alice and Billifer get back together, it may be a more doomed romance than that of Romeo and Juliet.

  24. True Survivor
    True Survivor
    October 3, 2025 at 12:11 am | #

    Is that a pocketed leather vest over a black hoody? Billy found herself a girl with style.

  25. Dr. T
    Dr. T
    October 3, 2025 at 12:11 am | #

    Oh, so she was every bit the train wreck as Billie during their relationship.

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 12:12 am | #

      “Relationship” feels generous

      • RassilonTDavros
        RassilonTDavros
        October 3, 2025 at 12:27 am | #

        ‘Tis the season of generosity.

        Already. On October 3rd. Somehow.

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      October 3, 2025 at 12:15 am | #

      She knew who she was doing.

    • DashWallkick
      DashWallkick
      October 3, 2025 at 3:39 am | #

      all the characteristics that make Billie Billie — drama hurricane, lack of self awareness, delusional confidence, aggressively loyal — are the reasons Alice fell insanely in love with Billie. We already kind of knew that from the whole abortion/prom thing, but hey guess what, hard confirmed.

    • Throwatron
      Throwatron
      October 3, 2025 at 5:24 am | #

      I think it’s more like “she was a train wreck waiting to happen, and Billie happened to be willing to conduct.” Her main problem seems to be lacking the ability to direct herself, and a constant need for guidance, and I can say from experience, that trait is extremely consistent at leading you into allowing a generally self-centered person to fully take over your life, even though that person doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

      She’s even literally aware of this exact thing being a problem for her, and yet she still can’t help diving headfirst back into a relationship that almost killed her. It’s low self-worth and codependency to the extreme.

      • eh, whatever
        eh, whatever
        October 3, 2025 at 8:19 am | #

        Or she’s so horny she forgets about herself, so self-worth doesn’t even enter the equation.

  26. shadowcell
    shadowcell
    October 3, 2025 at 12:11 am | #

    Dumbing of Age Book 16: I’M GONNA PUT MY COOCH ON HER COOCH

    • Shakes
      Shakes
      October 3, 2025 at 12:16 am | #

      Versatile title, applies to multiple cooches!

  27. Bryy
    Bryy
    October 3, 2025 at 12:12 am | #

    Well, I mean, at least Alice is aware that all she needed was someone to say “she’s cool” before going back to Billie.

  28. Stormtide Leviathan
    Stormtide Leviathan
    October 3, 2025 at 12:12 am | #

    Alice has such a way with words…

    Anyways, prediction: This scene will resolve with at least one kiss between ruth and alice

    • RassilonTDavros
      RassilonTDavros
      October 3, 2025 at 12:15 am | #

      Maybe more

      Imagine

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      October 3, 2025 at 12:24 am | #

      Neither of them has a girlfriend right now, so there’s no problems if Ruth demonstrates some of Billie’s favorite maneuvers.

      • RassilonTDavros
        RassilonTDavros
        October 3, 2025 at 12:30 am | #

        could estrogen have saved jason?

        (the answer is no)

        • IntangibleMatter
          IntangibleMatter
          October 3, 2025 at 1:18 am | #

          Nothing could’ve saved him from his true sin, being Br*tish

        • Zamperla
          Zamperla
          October 3, 2025 at 10:43 am | #

          Not even remotely, and YET I am compelled.

      • deliverything
        deliverything
        October 3, 2025 at 6:34 am | #

        Well, Alice has come here to learn more about what Billifer’s like in a relationship, right? And, you know, “Show, don’t tell”.

  29. RassilonTDavros
    RassilonTDavros
    October 3, 2025 at 12:12 am | #

    Nah she doesn’t have to worry about red flags with Billifer, it’s been canonically established that Billifer’s favorite movie isn’t Human Centipede

    • Dara
      Dara
      October 3, 2025 at 12:22 am | #

      ♫ I think that I’m gonna get murdered tonight ♫ 👏 👏

  30. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    October 3, 2025 at 12:16 am | #

    Yes, Alice seemed to utterly miss that Jennifer was in denial about it being a big deal because if she acknowledged it, she’d be “drunk driving girl” for the rest of her life and lose all of her self-image as a beloved fixer of problems.

    • Thag Simmons
      Thag Simmons
      October 3, 2025 at 12:49 am | #

      This is not the most intuitive leap for her to be making!

      • C.T Phipps
        C.T Phipps
        October 3, 2025 at 12:51 am | #

        Jennifer is against self-reflection too but just didn’t want to be known by her worst mistake alone…and is.

        • Thag Simmons
          Thag Simmons
          October 3, 2025 at 1:00 am | #

          Sure, but you can’t expect Alice to treat her lover nearly killing herself and her as no biggie just because Billie’d really like it to be no biggie.

          • Throwatron
            Throwatron
            October 3, 2025 at 5:27 am | #

            I mean, I’m sure Jennifer could convince her it was no biggie. Against Alice’s better judgement. Which is precisely what Alice is afraid of, despite doing nearly nothing to actually listen to said better judgement.

  31. Jon
    Jon
    October 3, 2025 at 12:20 am | #

    Scattered thoughts:
    1. I like seeing this other side of Alice! She’s such a hot mess haha
    2. Ruth shines when she has fresh characters to bounce off of. I think being so entangled with Billie for so long really bogged down how strong she is as a character.
    3. If we don’t pivot back to Jocelyne I am going to SCREAM

    • True Survivor
      True Survivor
      October 3, 2025 at 12:31 am | #

      Increasingly Scattered Thoughts:
      1. Those are interesting points and I agree with two thirds of them
      2. My stomach hurts, I think ate too much garlic bread tonight
      3. The moon was very bright and is currently a waxing gibbous

      • Thing 2
        Thing 2
        October 3, 2025 at 2:37 am | #

        As opposed to a-waxing gibbons, which was an interesting, if erroneous, reading of your 3rd point.

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      October 3, 2025 at 1:16 am | #

      I had a dream where the Jocelyne story concluded with her and Hank having a conversation as they head off into the distance where it comes up that she’s been repeatedly telling him she’s a woman and he keeps not getting it.
      It was pretty anticlimactic.

      • Sirksome
        Sirksome
        October 3, 2025 at 2:10 am | #

        I actually find that idea amusing. That Jocelyne has already come out to Hank at he kinda doesn’t understand what she means in a sincere way without being transphobic.

  32. Cholma
    Cholma
    October 3, 2025 at 12:21 am | #

    Oh, Alice. You sweet child. No. DO NOT wander down that road with Bilifer.

    Instead . . . hook up with Ruth! 😀

    • Lee
      Lee
      October 3, 2025 at 1:03 am | #

      Cholma really saw Alice and went “I can make her worse”

  33. ESM
    ESM
    October 3, 2025 at 12:24 am | #

    Fun fact: This is the second time Ruth has met Alice and the first time she’s actually spoken to her. We’re going from 0-60 very fast here, sharingways.

    • Li
      Li
      October 3, 2025 at 1:30 am | #

      That’s not at all true? They’ve been texting for a while now, as was established previously and also re-established yesterday.

    • Nymph
      Nymph
      October 3, 2025 at 4:33 am | #

      This is, I think, one of the better pieces of proof to the “not happening on-screen doesn’t mean it’s not happening” arguments.

  34. Qube
    Qube
    October 3, 2025 at 12:32 am | #

    hey, new book title

  35. StClair
    StClair
    October 3, 2025 at 12:33 am | #

    these horny idiots

    • Bryy
      Bryy
      October 3, 2025 at 2:27 am | #

      DoA would fucking make bank as a visual novel.

  36. AlexanderHammil
    AlexanderHammil
    October 3, 2025 at 12:39 am | #

    the fact that this conversation is happening two, MAYBE three days after alice started hanging out with billie again is very funny. college relationships move fast

  37. SalmonMax
    SalmonMax
    October 3, 2025 at 12:52 am | #

    I see that background detail on the wall. Sure it’s probably a hockey stick, but the position and framing makes it look like something piercing Ruth in the heart. I SEE YOU.

    • Nymph
      Nymph
      October 3, 2025 at 4:34 am | #

      Oooo that’s a very good spot. Definitely intentional because she’s only in that angle after Alice askes her to sell Jennifer as a partner.

  38. Shogo
    Shogo
    October 3, 2025 at 12:57 am | #

    The speed at which I went from thinking Alice was interesting to not caring about her in the slightest is giving me whiplash.

  39. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    October 3, 2025 at 1:05 am | #

    Not sure what to not trust in this one. Red flags? That’s obvious. Cooch on cooch? Hey, whatever the ladies are into. Maybe just don’t trust the Toronto Maple Leafs.

    • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
      The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
      October 3, 2025 at 5:26 am | #

      Certainly don’t trust the Leafs to win.

  40. Maddie B
    Maddie B
    October 3, 2025 at 1:10 am | #

    Oh my god, Alice.

    (Girl knows what she wants.)

  41. biomanzilla
    biomanzilla
    October 3, 2025 at 1:11 am | #

    Now I want to see the version of this strip Willis wrote while going through severe diarrhea.

    • Nymph
      Nymph
      October 3, 2025 at 6:31 am | #

      I hadn’t read the alt-text, so I thought this weird ass desire came straight from your dome and out of the ether and was SO fucking confused why THIS of all things was what you wanted.

      • Dot
        Dot
        October 3, 2025 at 7:45 am | #

        This is why you always read the fine print

    • Astariel
      Astariel
      October 3, 2025 at 10:33 am | #

      Willis posted the original version on Patreon, and I think it will be available to everyone as of Sunday. Short version, being sick makes Willis write everyone like Dina.

  42. anon
    anon
    October 3, 2025 at 1:16 am | #

    dunno if it’s more of a nothern or age thing but weird to see a chara say ‘cooch’ versus just ‘crotch’ XD

    • eskimolos
      eskimolos
      October 3, 2025 at 2:16 am | #

      Yeah cooch always seemed bawdy, crotch is the deadpan serious term of an older female relative who is trying to get the young kids to wash or wipe correctly.

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        October 3, 2025 at 4:41 am | #

        Cooch is supposed to be bawdy! It’s an abbreviated form of the “Hoochie-Coochie” which was a sexy striptease/burlesque type dance. Presumably where you showed your Coochie/Cooch.

        • Li
          Li
          October 3, 2025 at 10:49 am | #

          Yes! She is TRYING to be bawdy, she’s talking about having sex with Jennifer.

          She has so many reasons NOT to want to sound like “an older female relative trying to get the young kids to wash or wipe correctly”!

    • Skater Girl
      Skater Girl
      October 3, 2025 at 3:58 am | #

      The two terms are related but not interchangeable. Everyone has a crotch, not everyone had a cooch. Cooch (or coochie) specifically refers to the vaginal/monds pubis area.

      • deliverything
        deliverything
        October 3, 2025 at 7:20 am | #

        In other words, the capoodle?

  43. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    October 3, 2025 at 1:31 am | #

    I’m a huge Jennifer fan that thinks she often gets a disproportionately bad rep here in the comments, but I don’t think she was roofied. Jennifer is an alcoholic that made a bad decision prom not that nearly killed her and Alice. Jen’s character introduction is about her and alcohol. That’s more interesting than having possibly her most pivotal moment in life to date being because of someone else.

    I don’t think either of them are “drama hurricanes”. Honestly that’s just something Alice said at a time of emotional stress she probably doesn’t mean and people just kind of ran with it. Everyone in this comic is a drama hurricane. We just spent weeks with Hurricane Joyothy. If Alice wants to put her cooch on some Billie cooch she shouldn’t doubt herself. They’ve both changed and grown since their last time together.

    • Felgraf
      Felgraf
      October 3, 2025 at 2:00 am | #

      Unrelated: I accidentally clicked “report this comment” while scrolling on my phone. As there is no unreport button, I just wanted to let whoever reviews it know that report was in error -.-

      • nadamás
        nadamás
        October 3, 2025 at 3:57 am | #

        Nobody reviews them most of the time, it is automatically deleted if enough people report it

  44. GUIGUI
    GUIGUI
    October 3, 2025 at 1:32 am | #

    Well that settle Alice’s motive. So much for me thinking that Alice was trying to play matchmaker between Ruth and Jen…

    • C.T Phipps
      C.T Phipps
      October 3, 2025 at 1:38 am | #

      The girl who only knows them as a suicide pact and dumped jenn for being dangerous seems unlikely to promote that.

      • GUIGUI
        GUIGUI
        October 3, 2025 at 4:03 am | #

        I might not remember it well, but I don’t think Alice know about the suicide pact.

        • C.T Phipps
          C.T Phipps
          October 3, 2025 at 6:17 am | #

          I think it was the first thing Jennifer told her in their second meeting.

          Ah, here we go.

          https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-15/03-me-and-who-you-say-i-was-yesterday/successfully/

          • GUIGUI
            GUIGUI
            October 3, 2025 at 9:26 am | #

            Oh right, my bad.

  45. IntangibleMatter
    IntangibleMatter
    October 3, 2025 at 1:38 am | #

    I’m pretty sure Billie didn’t get roofied at prom, she was just driving drunk and hit a tree.

  46. Sirksome
    Sirksome
    October 3, 2025 at 1:44 am | #

    This moment would be hilarious for me if Jason has been in the room the whole time.

    • Doopyboop
      Doopyboop
      October 3, 2025 at 2:23 am | #

      No lie I was actually wondering myself if Jason might be in the room just chilling. If that’s the case I hope it isn’t made clear until the final panel dealing with this detour where after Ruth and Alice have bemoaned their love and attraction for Jennifer, he just pipes up like “jolly good guv’na.”

  47. Bryy
    Bryy
    October 3, 2025 at 2:34 am | #

    Ruth was in no way pulling Billie down. I’m not even sure that she was enabling her. Billie is a pretty shiity person even without Ruth, and it was heavily implied even before Alice.

    • thejeff
      thejeff
      October 3, 2025 at 7:21 am | #

      Whether or not Ruth was pulling Jennifer down, something like that was pretty clearly the fear that led to Ruth dumping her.

  48. Kyulen
    Kyulen
    October 3, 2025 at 2:38 am | #

    I tend to like red flags, but not the type of red flags Alice is talking about.

  49. darkoneko
    darkoneko
    October 3, 2025 at 3:16 am | #

    . . . . . . . . w o w

  50. nadamás
    nadamás
    October 3, 2025 at 3:58 am | #

    Was wondering where yiu ginna come back to this weird ass take you have .

  51. Juanoku
    Juanoku
    October 3, 2025 at 4:02 am | #

    ALICE NO YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GETTING INTO. THIS PIT HAS TAKEN YEARS TO DIG DON’T FALL INTO IT

  52. Nymph
    Nymph
    October 3, 2025 at 4:38 am | #

    “Because Alice wouldn’t stay away from her own rapist.”

    Today: Adam Black inexplicably victim blames a high school girl for being raped, falling for abusive tactics, and the assumption that someone else (not the high school girl) roofied a totally different girl. Then claims her past abuse taints her as a person, and makes her dangerous to defend!

    Adam Black COULD HAVE put the blame on the rapist and whoever roofied Billie (which I think was no one, but we’re going with this version of events) and whoever poses the danger rather than one of the victims of it, but Adam Black chose not to!

    Way to stick it to [high school student who was sexually assaulted]!

    • eh, whatever
      eh, whatever
      October 3, 2025 at 8:13 am | #

      I’m reading it differently: as “Billie was roofied as punishment for defending Alice”.

      …which… is creative.

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        October 3, 2025 at 8:27 am | #

        Totally valid reading. The way I got to mine was:

        “I think Billy was roofied at the prom because of her connection to Alice. Because she was defending Alice.
        Because Alice wouldn’t stay away from her own rapist.”

        Sounds like three contributing reasons in victim-blamer’s mind:
        1. Because she was friends with Alice.
        2. Because she defended Alice.
        3. Because Alice was with her rapist.

        With the conclusion “Alice is a drama hurricane and a trouble magnet and likely to put Billy in danger…” as if Alice were in anyway the reason Billie was in danger rather than the rapist and supposed roofie-doser.

  53. CianM1301
    CianM1301
    October 3, 2025 at 4:41 am | #

    Re: alt text – See, now I wanna see what the strip was like before the post-norovirus clarity.

    • Kazuma Shouri
      Kazuma Shouri
      October 3, 2025 at 9:27 pm | #

      seconded

  54. Sharizard
    Sharizard
    October 3, 2025 at 5:03 am | #

    I was not expecting the bluntness of that last panel and i love it.

  55. Chubsius
    Chubsius
    October 3, 2025 at 6:49 am | #

    It would be interesting if Billifer rejected Alice’s advances because Billifer was genuinely looking for a friend and wanted maintain that friendship.

    • deliverything
      deliverything
      October 3, 2025 at 7:18 am | #

      My tentative prediction: Alice continues trying to get back together with Billifer, who continues assuming they’re simply friends. Neither of them realises this disparity.

      (Possibly further complicated by Billifer’s “You’re allowed to bang, like, once” mindset.)

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 7:49 am | #

      Billie has thus far shown immense desire to be Alice’s friend again and none at all for anything besides friendship with her. Alice is making a lot of assumptions here based partly on outdated information that are likely to not pan out how she expects.

      • deliverything
        deliverything
        October 3, 2025 at 8:46 am | #

        “The suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.” — Oscar Wilde

        • Owlmirror
          Owlmirror
          October 3, 2025 at 4:17 pm | #

          I was going to gripe that the line was by Willy Wonka as played by Gene Wilder . . . except that I did the research and found that the line is originally from The Importance of Being Ernest. Well.

          Noncanonical Oscar Wilde silliness:

          https://www.flickr.com/photos/quirkybird/albums/72157623776713649/with/4540136526

      • Owlmirror
        Owlmirror
        October 3, 2025 at 4:49 pm | #

        Maybe “outdated” isn’t even the right word. That is, maybe Jennifer and Alice have always had this asymmetrical relationship, where Jennifer just wanted to be the protective alpha who took care of her bestie, but Alice initiated the sex because she found Jennifer’s girlboss attitude so very very hot, and Jennifer went along because her BFF wanted/needed it.

        And unlike Joyce with Becky, Jennifer didn’t have anything holding her back.

    • CianM1301
      CianM1301
      October 3, 2025 at 9:34 am | #

      I wonder if Billifer wants to maintain that purely platonic friendship with Alice because she knows that she doesn’t want to go back to being the person she was.

    • Smokeysis
      Smokeysis
      October 3, 2025 at 12:40 pm | #

      I think there are not insignificant odds that Billie claims she’s straight (despite all evidence to the contrary) while shooting Alice down, leading to some actual pushback on that idea from characters in-universe.

  56. Matrix
    Matrix
    October 3, 2025 at 7:20 am | #

    The juxtaposition with the stuff happening with Becky makes me think this won’t end well

  57. SillyGoose
    SillyGoose
    October 3, 2025 at 7:30 am | #

    First few panels: “Move along, Alice, you don’t belong here. This isn’t Self-awaring of age, you know!”
    Couple beats later: “Nevermind. Take a seat.”

  58. Dot
    Dot
    October 3, 2025 at 7:45 am | #

    This is one of the grossest of your comments I’ve seen in a while, man.

  59. Jernacious
    Jernacious
    October 3, 2025 at 8:09 am | #

    “I swallowed her red flags, now I’m going to put them in my cooch!”

  60. YourCousinJay
    YourCousinJay
    October 3, 2025 at 8:32 am | #

    dang, my favorite ship is being encrouched on by my favorite re-design and now I dont know who to root for. a true conundrum i’ve found myself in

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 9:13 am | #

      Hold the line. The redhead must win.

      • Nymph
        Nymph
        October 3, 2025 at 10:21 am | #

        Counterpoint – Alice helps Jennifer work on some stuff and realize what she wants from Ruth and THEN Ruth/Jennifer get together. Both a little more healed and willing to admit they love each other.

        • Dot
          Dot
          October 3, 2025 at 11:04 am | #

          This is indeed what I think will happen but I think
          Alice as a love interest for Billie is just the most boring thing to do with her character lol.

          • Nymph
            Nymph
            October 3, 2025 at 12:55 pm | #

            That’s super fair. I personally love Alice, but I’m not sure how I feel about her with Jennifer either.

            • Dot
              Dot
              October 3, 2025 at 2:53 pm | #

              I like Alice *a lot* when she’s being a cheerful gossip slash Greek chorus, I think that side of her is a lot of fun. When she’s being anxious about her relationship with Billie she starts to lose me.

  61. Zamperla
    Zamperla
    October 3, 2025 at 10:41 am | #

    puts hands together.

    I’m not usually a praying man but I just think it’d be funny if Alice and Ruth got together. I think it could be cute. I think it’d be a disaster. It sounds like Ruth might be her type. I think Jennifers head would explode.

    • Taffy
      Taffy
      October 3, 2025 at 10:57 am | #

      That would be so funny. I hope it happens.

  62. Astariel
    Astariel
    October 3, 2025 at 11:08 am | #

    That is an admirable goal, Alice, and I support it wholeheartedly!

  63. Suet
    Suet
    October 3, 2025 at 1:15 pm | #

    Just admit it to Redflagsworth, your face when you’re with her is indicative

    any moment now, unless someone interrupts it

  64. Amelie Wikström
    Amelie Wikström
    October 3, 2025 at 1:42 pm | #

    Ha, I haven’t seen the old biting your thumb move in a while.

    But I feel like “we almost died” is not a very fair summary of events. I mean it was fucked up Billie drove their car into a tree, I’m not saying that wasn’t a clear warning sign and it’s obviously left Alice some scars, but “if the car had been going 20 miles faster we could have died” is pretty different from the “if half the dorm hadn’t got together to help us I would have died” Ruth is hearing.

    • nadamás
      nadamás
      October 3, 2025 at 5:16 pm | #

      I, really don’t understand what you mean? It was incredibly lucky that neither of them died in that crash, so what she said it’s a accurate description of it.

    • Doopyboop
      Doopyboop
      October 3, 2025 at 11:56 pm | #

      The car was wrecked pretty badly and Alice was bleeding from the face. I agree it’s different from Ruth’s version but I suspect not in the way you think it is. Like don’t get me wrong, Ruth was definitely in something of a semi-catatonic state of depression that was dangerous for her, but it’s also a bit… slower acting thus allowing more opportunity for someone to get involved versus two people in a large car crashing into a tree hard enough to damage the car and incur physical injury. I suspect them dying has less to do with speed and more to do with how they hit the tree, for example if they’d crashed on either side rather than head on I think it could have been very bad, especially if it had been on Alice’s side since her side of the car doesn’t look like it activated an airbag compared to Billie’s.

      https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-15/03-me-and-who-you-say-i-was-yesterday/crash-2/

      • Yumi
        Yumi
        October 4, 2025 at 12:00 am | #

        I agree with this– the site kept crashing on me when trying to say similar earlier. They also could have hit oncoming traffic and possibly ended some other lives too. Both situations were bad, but “we/I almost died” is more fitting for Alice’s experience than Ruth’s.

  65. mindbleach
    mindbleach
    October 3, 2025 at 1:48 pm | #

    Per Willis’s Bluesky comments, because I’m not getting on Bluesky: What Your Favorite Avatar Ship Says About You.

  66. Dot
    Dot
    October 3, 2025 at 2:55 pm | #

    I think Willis should add another sapphic pairing in the main cast to spite the people who think we’re focusing too much on gay women, and I know just how to do it! You see there’s this “guy” named Danny,

    • mindbleach
      mindbleach
      October 3, 2025 at 3:04 pm | #

      Danny’s a good egg.

  67. C.T Phipps
    C.T Phipps
    October 3, 2025 at 3:19 pm | #

    I still think it was terrible Ruth ditched Daisy.

    • Dot
      Dot
      October 3, 2025 at 4:17 pm | #

      She sent her a consolation nude!

    • Yumi
      Yumi
      October 3, 2025 at 6:28 pm | #

      🙁

  68. Rimwalker55
    Rimwalker55
    October 3, 2025 at 6:23 pm | #

    Maybe it’s crazy, but could be that Alice is going to pair up with Asma. Because of the flirty sub-text during the conversation between Alice, Raidah and Asma.
    https://www.dumbingofage.com/2025/comic/book-16/01-not-so-smooth-criminals/whatshername/

    • NGPZ
      NGPZ
      October 3, 2025 at 10:47 pm | #

      ngl would love that <3

      • The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        The Queer Agenda [frog memes]
        October 4, 2025 at 2:56 am | #

        They’d be cute.

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